Farmers like having data when they’re making decisions, and they need data to meet the requirements of Ohio’s new fertilizer application regulations. But when it comes to collecting and managing data, pressing fieldwork sometimes takes precedence. However, as technology advances, collection and processing of data is becoming more automatic, as well as more accurate. During the recent Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, several sessions focused on using today’s technology to support on-farm decision-making. Here are a few highlights:

• There’s an app for that. To comply with Ohio’s nutrient management regulations, farmers must monitor weather forecasts before applying fertilizer, and keep records of weather and soil conditions, along with application rates, locations and dates. But looking up and recording weather forecasts on paper can get cumbersome, said Jordan Hoewischer, director of water quality and research for the Ohio Farm Bureau. “It’s not something you want to do when you’re busy on the farm.”

The Ohio Nutrient Management Record Keeper (ONMRK), which was originally developed by the Knox County Farm Bureau and the Knox Soil and Water Conservation District, lets farmers check weather and keep records from their smartphones or other mobile devices. “Just the real-time weather alone is worth having the app,” said Hoewischer. The app makes it simple to fill out a list of data needed for application records, Hoewischer added. “If someone does request a printout, it’s all there.” 

The ONMRK app is free at onmrk.com.

• And an app for this. Farmers who are setting up on-farm research plots can simplify the process with the new mobile app Ohio State Plots. “Plots eliminates the human error in randomizing and replicating,” said Kaylee Port, project coordinator with Ohio State’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

ORGANIZE RESEARCH: Kaylee Port, project coordinator with Ohio State’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, explains the advantages of using the new app Ohio State Plots to organize field research.

The app can be used to set up plot layouts to compare hybrids, fertilizer rates or other variables. It also statistically analyzes the responses to the different treatments in the plots. “You don’t have to be a statistician and you don’t have to hire someone to crunch the numbers for you,” Port said.

Although the app is designed so users can share results with other people, the users control access with user names and passwords. “There’s no way Joe Farmer is going to see Tom Farmer’s information,” added Port.

To download the free app, search Ohio State Plots in the App Store or Google Play store.

• Fewer steps to better decisions. Collecting data is just the first step toward using the data to make better decisions, and many farmers never get beyond that first step, according to Ryan Oehler, territory manager for Ag Leader. “Maybe 5% of the guys are getting to the point where they’re making decisions based on the data they collect.”

MONITOR MORE: Ryan Oehler, territory manager for Ag Leader, says farmers are more likely to use the data they collect when they are able to process it and see it on their equipment monitors.

Part of the problem, Oehler said, is that it takes so many steps to collect, export, import, manage and review data before it is used for decision-making. “If we can jump over the steps, we’ll quit losing people along the way,” he said. Instead of using equipment monitors just to collect data, he recommends using them to review data during the growing season. “Let’s do as much as we can on that monitor in the cab,” he said. For instance, if you wanted to set up nitrogen application strip trials, you could use Ag Leader’s variety tracking feature to assign different “variety” names to each treatment as you plant and apply nitrogen. Then you can pull up the trial data as you harvest and create a summary report comparing the treatments right then. This method offers more timely access to data, he said. “All of this was done with the monitor in the cab.”

Of course, Oehler added, in-cab data comparisons are not “the magical answer to everything.” However, using just one device can be helpful in making quick, timely observations, he said. “Don’t forget to keep it simple sometimes.”

• Better data from more blocks. Farmers using variable-rate planters can easily lay out block tests to compare seeding rates as they set up their planting prescriptions. However, it will still take some planning to collect useful data. Mike Hannewald, precision farming field adviser for Becks Hybrids, said test blocks are easy to lay out and apply with precision planters and yield monitors. Blocks don’t even have to line up with equipment or sit square in a field, as strip plots do. However, he noted, blocks must be in consistent areas of fields. For instance, they should be located away from tree lines or drainage areas.

As you analyze block test results, expect some blocks to have invalid data, he said. If a block shows outlying data, look for outside factors that might have affected the results. For instance, a gully washer that caused water to back up in one corner of a block could skew results. “You need to extrapolate the data,” he said.

For the most useful data, look at the results from multiple tests, he added. “It’s important when you’re doing test blocks to do a lot of them.”

• Accuracy matters. The widespread availability of combine yield monitors has made it easier to collect yield data from on-farm research plots, but if the monitor is not accurately calibrated, the data could be misleading. Elizabeth Hawkins, agronomic systems field specialist with Ohio State University Extension, stressed the importance of calibrating measuring equipment, whether weigh wagons or combine yield monitors are being used. Weigh wagons should be checked against a certified scale and, if more than one weigh wagon is used, the calibration of all the wagons should match.

For yield monitors, it’s important to start with correctly installed components, Hawkins said. Then the monitor should be carefully calibrated following the owner’s manual. “Just calibrating isn’t good enough. You need to make sure you’re calibrating correctly,” she said. Make sure to calibrate using various flow rates and check the calibration throughout the season, she added. Also make sure settings for grain weight and moisture are accurate.

After collecting yield data, some post-processing is generally necessary. For instance, consider the accuracy of the flow delay setting, Hawkins said. The default setting is generally 10 seconds, but that might need to be adjusted. To check, compare yield monitor readings in an area of a field with a known feature that reduces yield, such as a gully. If the yields on the yield map don’t match up with the field characteristics, an adjustment might be needed to bring them in line.

Also review data to remove artifacts that don’t reflect the true yield. For instance, a sudden stop or point rows may cause inaccurate monitor readings.

On-Farm research influencing recommendations
The Tri-State Fertilizer recommendations that Ohio farmers have been using since 1995 were based on decades of research done at a limited number of research stations. However, researchers from Ohio State will be basing updated recommendations on on-farm research. Steve Cullman, nutrient specialist with Ohio State University Extension, said on-farm research offers more diversity in soil types and management practices. Researchers can also access more site-years of data quickly by working with many on-farm research sites. Working more directly with farmers also helps give researchers a better understanding of the constraints and concerns farmers have, so they can plan research accordingly, he added.

Cullman will be collecting more fertility data this year and expects that updated fertility recommendations will be issued in 2018. Research so far does not indicate that there will be any surprising changes in the recommendations, he said. Going forward, the recommendations are likely to be a frequently updated, living document, he said.